From November 1^st to the 3^rd, the National College Teacher Teaching Innovation Contest 3D/VR/AR Simulation Competition Finals, sponsored by the China Institute of Higher Education, was held in Nanjing. The university’s Department of Asset Management, Department of the Registrar and other relative departments took part in choosing two VR projects to compete on behalf of USTB. Both of them were successful in reaching the finals and were each awarded first prizes.

Since its launch in May the 3D/VR/AR Teacher Contest has received much attention and attracted nearly 400 teams from 201 colleges in 29 provinces to compete. Following a preceding contest at the provincial level, 182 teams from 130 college in 26 provinces were chosen to enter the finals. Through a series of evaluations that included on-site demonstrations, a dissertation, and a final review, the judges finally awarded 20 first prizes.

The 3D/VR/AR Teacher Contest is divided into 5 competitions. In the T2 competion (3D/VR/AR innovative applications for education and teaching), the project “Construction of Virtual Simulation Teaching Resources for the Blast Furnace Iron-making Production Process” led by the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering and the Modern Education Technology Center of the Department of the Registrar, developed a VR teaching program based on the "gas-liquid-solid" three-phase large-scale high-temperature chemical reactor blast furnace and used it for practical teaching in the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering. VR teaching resources can realize the visualization of theoretical knowledge, enhance teaching engagement and interactivity, and help students to learn blast furnace iron-making techniques. The use of this application in the "classroom teaching - VR experience - production internship" teaching trinity won unanimous praise from the competition’s judges.

Teacher SUN Youzhao from the Institute of Engineering Technology participated in the T3 competition (3D/VR/AR innovation applications for industry professionals) with his work “VR-based Hot Mill Rolling Troubleshooting System”. In view of the limitations of the current troubleshooting training methods, this project combines high engagement, interactivity and the low cost of VR to develop a hot mill rolling troubleshooting system. The program used innovative methods to significantly improved the production of the 3D models of the hot strip mill. It allows one to view the diversity of the fault points distribution and equipment status, giving the participate a more varied perspective and helping to improve overall training methods. Following intense competition and the judge’ review, the program was awarded first prize.

The 3D/VR/AR Simulation Competition is designed to improve the quality of talents working with 3D/VR/AR and promotes the practical applications of 3D/VR/AR technologies in engineering, with the goal of enhancing education in China by providing innovative methods to improve classroom teaching. It seeks to create a collaborative innovation platform to unite production, education and research, and promote a comprehensive reform of digital education and teaching.

USTB seeks to cultivate the teaching capability and professional skills of its laboratory teachers, encouraging them to carry out cross-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary researches, transform experimental technology research results into practical teaching methods, and embrace reform and innovation, with the overall goal of improving USTB’s educational methods in the field of science and engineering.